Red Roses
by bulletproofweeks
Summary: The CBI team is required to attend a formal dinner and with that requirement comes the search for a date. Jane/Lisbon or Jisbon, Rigsby/Van Pelt, Romance, Humor, Drama, Angst, COMPLETE
1. Required

Chapter 1: Required

Wednesday, 10:32 AM

"Lisbon, I need your team to be there." Lisbon's boss stressed to the senior agent. The two were conversing in his office over the up and coming fundraising dinner.

"This is ridiculous." Lisbon argued, openly against the idea of her team attending. "Why my team?" She asked, finding the proposal absurd.

"You've closed the most cases in the department." Her boss reasoned, simply stating the facts. "It makes sense that the bureau wants to meet you socially."

"It makes no sense." Lisbon muttered. She was normally receptive to her boss's orders when it did not involve pointless conversations with the heads of the California Bureau.

"You and your team are going to be there." He demanded, ending the argument. Lisbon's disappointment was evident in her features.

"What about Jane?" She asked, knowing that her boss was always cautious when it came to the unpredictable consultant.

"Him too." He replied evenly. He sighed, noting her frustration. "One dinner is all I ask." Lisbon let her hands fall to her side from their crossed position.

"Yes, boss." She replied, sounding more like her usual self. Her boss nodded, glad that the conversation was over. Lisbon exited the office and headed back to her own desk. When she arrived at her desk, however, Jane was sitting in her chair, his feet resting on the table. He looked up at her with an innocent grin. She simply frowned. Before she could complain about his immaturity, a voice sounded from behind her.

"What did he want to talk to you about?" Rigsby asked, obviously voicing everyone's thoughts.

"Nothing." Lisbon quickly evaded, as Jane got out of the chair and politely offered it to his boss.

"Nothing always indicates you're hiding something." Jane added, not the least bit troubled by Lisbon's incessant frown.

"Or I think explaining is a waste of time." Lisbon countered, settling in at her desk.

"If that was true, you wouldn't look so frustrated." Jane replied quickly. He walked over to stand next to Rigsby, who was leaning against his own desk. Van Pelt was lounging in her chair, while Cho was resting his head on his desk, his eyes staring at his phone hoping for a call.

"Not to mention you have plenty of time to waste." Rigsby added, reminding them that they hadn't had a case in almost three days and counting. The team was now bored out of their minds, even Jane could not find enough mind tricks to keep himself amused. Cho was the most desperate for a case, which was surprising seeing as he normally enjoys any down time he can get so he can read his book; but, now he had finished his book and was in _need_ of a mystery to solve. Rigbsy and Jane glanced over at Cho.

"Californians can't stay peaceful for long." Cho responded bluntly. "We'll have a bombing or a triple homicide or something." He added, almost hopefully.

"Either that's cynicism or you're actually wanting all hell to break loose." Van Pelt pointed out, with an amused frown.

"Just stating the facts. They'll screw up eventually." Cho shrugged, his eyes still trained on the phone.

"Until then, we are _required_ to attend the bureau's annual fundraising dinner." Lisbon spilled, ending her sentence with a sigh.

"We? As in the team?" Rigsby clarified.

"Yes. A whole evening of uncomfortable shoes and fake smiles." Lisbon explained, obviously dreading the event.

"Sounds like fun!" Van Pelt exclaimed, sincerity apparent in her eyes.

"Can we bring a date?" Rigsby asked uncertainly. Jane smiled at the hesitant question.

"If you can get one." Cho added. His face was indifferent, which made his comment all the more funny. Jane's smile widened as Rigsby frowned indignantly.

"What's that supposed to mean?" He countered, but Lisbon intervened.

"Bring a date if you want. It's tomorrow night, starting at 7:00. I know it's short notice, but your _expected_ to be there." She concluded.

"_Required_." Jane corrected her.


	2. Dandelions

**The reviews (and the threats) have convinced me to post another chapter... and this one is a long one! Enjoy.**

Chapter 2: Dandelions

Wednesday, 12:22 PM

Patrick Jane walked through CBI, his face hidden behind a large bouquet of roses. He attempted to navigate down the halls, but occasionally bumped into another agent. He would exchange a brief apology before continuing his journey to the office kitchen where his colleagues were.

Finally, he reached the small room unharmed. Cho and Rigsby looked up from their conversation, surprised to see the beautiful assortment of flowers. Jane approached the two agents leaning against the counter and immediately gave the bouquet to Rigsby.

"Here." He remarked with a cheery grin. Rigsby took the vase, but his face expressed confusion.

"So true feelings come to the surface." Cho commented with a short, simple smile. Jane kept smiling, which gave Rigsby the feeling that he had missed something important.

"Give these to Van Pelt when you ask her." Jane explained, pointing at the bouquet.

"When I ask her what?" Rigsby asked, not quite putting the pieces together.

"To go to the fundraiser with you." Jane furthered.

"I wasn't…" Rigsby stuttered, taken back by Jane's assumption.

"Yes you were." Jane reminded him with a smile. Cho seemed to agree.

"I can't just…" Rigsby tried to think up an excuse, but Jane interrupted.

"It's a date… not marriage." Jane reasoned, amused by Rigsby's anxiety.

"Why roses?" Rigsby questioned, smelling the fresh flowers.

"Remember when I told you the secret to seduction?" Jane asked.

"Love and affection." Rigsby replied quickly. Jane's eyes brightened.

"I told you the dollar would make you remember." Jane countered with a clever smile.

"Actually it was the 100 bucks." Rigsby corrected him, recalling his winning a bet with Jane.

"What flower is always associated with love?" Jane continued.

"Dandelions." Cho remarked, feigning ignorance.

"Roses." Rigsby shrugged, ignoring Cho's input.

"Exactly. And either you ask her on a date, or these beautiful flowers will wilt and die. And then you'll owe me 25 bucks." Jane explained.

"Why me?" Rigsby asked nervously. He felt like he was being singled out for a humiliating rejection.

"Because you're the one who practically worships her." Cho answered as if it was common knowledge.

"I mean, why don't you guys have dates?" Rigsby clarified, looking between his two friends.

"I'm going to ask Lisbon." Jane replied in a straightforward manner. Rigsby and Cho both looked at Jane, clearly bemused.

"You mean our boss Lisbon?" Rigsby questioned.

"No, the other Lisbon." Jane remarked, amused by their bewilderment.

"Aren't you worried she'll say no?" Rigsby added curiously.

"She won't." Cho intervened with a brief smirk.

"Because I have a rose." Jane furthered, taking one of the prettiest roses from the bouquet.

"But Lisbon didn't even want to go to this dinner." Rigsby pointed out.

"Any woman who claims that they don't like social outings only hates them because they don't have anyone to go with." Jane reasoned as a means of persuading Rigsby to ask Van Pelt. "Van Pelt is dying for you to ask her, but if you don't, somebody else might." He reminded Rigsby. "Like Cho for example." Jane added, to successfully conclude his argument. Cho turned to Rigsby and shrugged innocently. Rigsby frowned in return, seeing as he had been beat.

"You first then." Rigsby replied. Jane expected this response and did not hesitate to leave the room in search of Lisbon, rose in hand.

* * *

Before he knew it, he was looming in front of her desk, the rose hidden behind his back.

"Lisbon?" Jane voiced his presence, seeing as Lisbon had yet to acknowledge him. Jane could almost sense that she was trying to avoid him or at least ignore him.

"I'm busy." She countered bluntly, still refusing to look up from a scattered assortment of loose papers. Jane stepped around the desk and sat down on its sturdy edge. Lisbon finally looked up from her desktop. "Didn't I say I'm busy?" She questioned with a hint of hostility, but Jane saw past this.

"With what? We don't have a case." Jane pointed out, leaning forward to look at the papers. Lisbon quickly shuffled them aside and out of his view.

"Personal matters." She explained evenly. Jane studied her expression.

"You're trying to find an excuse to skip the fundraiser." He concluded, with another clever smile. He could tell he was right when she decided not to answer his conclusion. Instead, she evaded.

"What do you want, Jane?" Lisbon asked, with a sigh.

"Would you like to go to fundraising dinner with me?" Jane asked her, while pulling out the rose and showing it to her. His tone was so straightforward and casual that Lisbon was caught off guard. She stared at Jane for a moment, processing his request.

"You mean… on a date?" She clarified, more as a means to buy time.

"Yes." Jane answered without hesitating. Lisbon's eyes moved between the rose and the consultant. Jane could sense she was starting to feel uncomfortable and pressured, so he made light of the question. After all, it was only one dinner. "I figure it'd be more fun if two friends went together instead of alone." He explained. She nodded slightly and seemed to gain her voice back.

"All my superiors are going to be there. I'll probably spend most of the night interviewing for my job, so it won't exactly be fun." Lisbon reasoned in an attempt to lower his expectations. Jane just kept smiling.

"So you can use me as an excuse when the chit-chat gets too much to bear." He gave her an equally logical answer and she smiled slightly in response.

"You'll behave yourself?" Lisbon joked, suddenly feeling more comfortable with the idea.

"What? So I can't hypnotize anyone?" Jane exclaimed, feigning dismay. "I'm not Denis the Menace." He reminded her. She was still smiling and her cheeks were blushing a faint red, so Jane took her answer as a yes. He stood up from the desk and moved round to the front of it. "So I'll pick you up at 6:30?" He asked her casually.

"Sure." Lisbon replied, now masking her smile under her boss-like façade. Jane nodded and turned to leave her desk. He had only taken a few steps when Lisbon called after him. "Hey, Patrick." Jane turned. "Thank you for the rose." Lisbon added, lifting up the flower slightly.

"You're welcome." Jane replied, before leaving in search of Rigsby and Cho.

* * *

Before he entered the kitchen, Jane masked his joy under a veil of rejection. He so enjoyed misleading his fellow agents. He entered the office quietly and headed straight to the nearest chair to take a seat. Cho and Rigsby were still in roughly the same spots and they both turned their attention to Jane. Jane taped his fingers on the table, his eyes trained on its linoleum top.

"She said no?" Rigsby asked, surprised by Jane's behavior. Jane's frown morphed quickly into a cunning smile as he looked at the two. Rigsby frowned slightly at the change while Cho just observed indifferently.

"You're going on a date with Lisbon?" Rigsby clarified, now unsure of her answer. Jane's smile became a brief toothy grin.

"Did you take your cousin to the prom?" Jane asked, curious as to why dating seemed like such a foreign concept to Rigsby. He ignored the accusation and rather corrected his reasoning.

"It's just… she's our boss." Rigsby pointed out. Cho looked over at him with 'no duh' written on his face.

"And a friend." Jane explained. To him, she was always more of an equal than a superior, especially since Jane was not exactly part of the team. He did not have a gun nor a badge and sometimes he used this as an excuse to bend the rules.

"Sure she is." Cho remarked sarcastically, hinting at a deeper emotion behind his actions. Jane did not let it get to him. Instead, he turned the tables on Rigsby.

"Are you going to keep stalling?" Jane questioned, seeing as Rigsby still had the bouquet sitting next to him on the counter.

"Van Pelt went to lunch." Rigsby explained, with a grin. With that he grabbed the bouquet and headed back to his office. Jane and Cho followed, not wanting to miss the eventual confrontation between him and Van Pelt.

Fate didn't let them down. As soon as Rigsby entered the office, he found himself face to face with Grace Van Pelt.

"Are those… roses?" She remarked, her eyes expressing awe at the beautiful bouquet. Jane and Cho snuck around the two and toward this desk in the center of the room. Lisbon was still at her desk and looked up from her disarray of files in order to watch the drama unfold.

"This is going to be good." Cho commented, finally finding something to keep himself amused. Rigsby stood quietly for a moment before processing Van Pelt's sudden appearance.

"T-they're for you." Rigsby stuttered, carefully handing her the vase. She smiled, which made Rigsby smile back.

"They're beautiful, Rigsby." Van Pelt commented, her eyes sparkling happily. Rigsby relaxed a little, but was still tense and nervous. She smelled the roses before setting them on her desk. Then she returned her gaze to Rigsby as if expecting something.

"Um…" Rigsby's plan had shattered right before his eyes. He simply blanked as if he was succumbing to stage fright. Jane noticed this. He made eye contact with Lisbon, who seemed to agree. Jane decided to give him some breathing room. He elbowed Cho in the side, but he ignored him. Jane shoved him a little harder so that Cho was forced to make eye contact.

"It was just getting good." Cho muttered, but reluctantly agreed.

"Is there something you want to ask?" Van Pelt questioned, sensing an awkward tension between her and Rigsby. He attempted to say something, but was stumped. Cho left his position and passed the two. He patted Rigsby on the shoulder and told him "good luck." Jane followed, giving Rigsby a reassuring smile. They disappeared down the hall. Lisbon returned to her work, though she was still listening.

"Would you… like to go to the dinner tomorrow night?" Rigsby managed with a weak smile. Van Pelt's expression revealed confusion.

"Is that a question?" She asked, bemused. Rigsby thought over his question and noticed his error.

"Um… would you like to go with _me_?" He clarified. Van Pelt hesitated briefly before giving him a brilliant smile.

"Sure." She replied casually.

"Really?" Rigsby asked, obviously insecure.

"Of course." Van Pelt shrugged.

"Oh." Rigsby stated, smiling slightly. There was a brief pause before Van Pelt thought of something to say.

"Do you know where I live?" Van Pelt asked. Rigsby shook his head. "I can get you directions." She continued, walking around her desk to get on google maps.

"Okay." Rigsby shrugged, still trying to comprehend the turn of events.


	3. Formal

Chapter 3: Formal

Thursday, 5:09 PM

Patrick Jane stepped into his vacant house. The only sound he could hear were his shoes echoing on the hardwood floors as he wandered to the staircase. He started slowly up the stairs until he reached his bedroom. He stopped at the door, hesitating only briefly before entering the empty space. Besides the mattress on the floor, the room looked abandoned. Jane's eyes immediately focused on the symbol of Red John permanently painted on his wall. Every time he saw it, he felt an accumulation of feelings almost too powerful to overcome: anger, fear, hate, love, regret, guilt, but overall grief. He questioned why he kept it there after all these years. It made him feel sick, but he knew he could never paint over it until Red John was dead. He stood there a minute before burying his emotions again. He then moved along the wall to his closet, finally turning his back on the painful reminder. Jane sifted through his few outfits in search of his one and only tux.

* * *

Teresa Lisbon was trapped in front of the mirror for what had seemed like hours. She had tried on every dress in her closet, but was yet to decide on a finalist. She hated having to go to the dinner on such short notice. Lisbon needed something that was classy and would impress all her superiors, but most of all, she wanted to impress Patrick Jane. She was not sure when it happened, but she had a huge crush on the consultant. She was almost tempted to stay home, her insecurities clouding her mind.

Lisbon sighed, not pleased with her outfit. She was afraid she would never decide on something. She did not dare think about jewelry or shoes yet. Not to mention hair. She just wanted to scream in frustration and she probably would have if the walls were a few inches thicker. The last thing she needed were her neighbors raising a fuss.


	4. Red Bow Ties

Chapter 4: Red Bow Ties

Thursday, 5:09 PM

Grace Van Pelt dropped all her shopping bags on the floor while she searched for the key to her apartment. She spent a couple hours touring the mall for a suitable dress. She had fancied a long red dress and was overjoyed when she finally found one. It was perfect.

Van Pelt finally got into her apartment. She dragged her bags along behind her and then hoisted them onto her kitchen counter. She sighed and then proceeded to the fridge where she pulled out an ice cream bar. She figured she had a good hour before she needed to change, so she settled herself down on her sofa in front of the T.V. She skimmed through the channels, but found that nothing decent was on. Van Pelt finally put it on the news, but then muted it.

Grace was worried. Rigsby had confessed that he loved her, but she hadn't been sure how to react. She still wasn't sure how to react. Even worse, Rigsby didn't remember telling her because he had been too doped up on pain pills. Grace sighed. He was a nice guy and he was fun to be around, but she wasn't sure whether that constituted any real connection between them. She said yes to the date because she figured it could be fun. It was only a date. Friends could go on dates. After all, Jane and Lisbon were going together and they were just friends.

At this point, she only liked Rigsby as a friend. At least she thought so…

Van Pelt pulled her feet up and laid down on the couch. Her mind kept rehearsing what she'd eventually have to say to Rigsby, but every time she said it, he always had the same heartbroken look on his face.

Ultimately, she wasn't sure if she was looking forward to or dreading the dinner.

* * *

Wayne Rigsby couldn't find one of his black shoes. He had rummaged through the whole apartment, but had only found some loose change, a Swiss army knife, some playing cards scattered under his couch, and an assortment of other useless trinkets. He didn't even recognize half the stuff he found packed into his small apartment.

Rigsby looked like the lead in a comedy sketch as he wandered around his apartment in a nice, clean suit and one shoe. He still had time until the party, but he was nervous, excited, and most of all, impatient.

"Found it!" Rigsby announced to the room as he recovered the shoe from under his T.V. stand.

* * *

_They'll be surprised_, Kimball Cho thought to himself as he laid his dinner jacket on his bed alongside his red bow tie. His cell phone started ringing, so he searched through his pockets, and then answered it.

"Hey, sweetie." He answered, after checking the caller I.D. He listened and then glanced down at his watch. "It starts at 7, but we can get there early if you want." He paused. "I like the red bow tie!" He declared, obviously resenting the woman's comment. He listened again. "You'll look good in any dress." Cho reassured her, rolling his eyes. "Yes, I promise." The woman started to speak again. "Would you like me to come over early and help you decide?" Cho answered with a grin. "Okay. I'll be there in the next 30 minutes." He concluded, before hanging up the phone and tossing it on the bed.

_They'll be surprised._

**Thanks for all the reviews! Miss-Frenchie's comment inspired me to add in this chapter showing the rest of the team's preparation. **


	5. Classy Party

**Note: References to the episode "Red Flame."**

Chapter 5: Classy Party

Thursday, 6:28 PM

Jane was leaning against his blue Citroën DS, which was parked in front of Lisbon's apartment building. The street was relatively quiet except for a few people walking their dogs and the occasional car driving by. Jane found it peaceful and calming, so he decided to wait until exactly 6:30 before making an appearance. He was wearing a nice dinner jacket with a clean white shirt under it. He couldn't remember the last time he had worn it, but it still fit perfectly. He did not wear a tie of any kind, but looked formal all the same. One of the main differences in his appearance were his new black shoes that he had bought very last minute. Despite being new, they weren't entirely uncomfortable, but were definitely different than his usual comfy brown loafers.

His two minutes were up.

Meanwhile, Lisbon was in a panic, rushing to find some suitable earrings that matched her necklace. In addition, she couldn't manage to zip up her dress all the way and slide the little clip on top. Unfortunately, she happened to look out the window and see Jane waiting by his car downstairs which only added to the last minute frenzy.

Lisbon was rummaging through her jewelry box when she heard the knock on the door. She wasn't sure whether to call out or just find her earrings quickly and let him in. She decided on the latter. She finally found the pair and quickly put them on while on her way to the front door. She first looked through the peephole out of habit and paranoia, before letting Jane into the apartment. Lisbon disappeared down the hall before Jane could say anything, so he quietly stepped into the room and closed the door behind him. Jane's mind quickly scanned the area, making countless observations. The apartment was a gold mine into the life of Teresa Lisbon. He saw pictures of Lisbon as a little girl and pictures of her family lined along the shelves.

"I'll be there in a minute." Lisbon called out, checking her appearance one last time in the mirror. She took a deep breath and suddenly realized that her dress was still not properly fastened. Things were already off to a rough start.

Lisbon peered around the corner of her bedroom to see Jane still standing by the door, his eyes glancing over the room. His gaze immediately landed on Lisbon. She slowly stepped into the hallway, her hands behind her back. Lisbon was wearing a long halter dress that was a dark, brilliant shade of green. Her dress was paired with a pair of silver open heels and a simple silver necklace with a beautiful circle and a small, light green stone set into it. Her long earrings had a similar circular design and her brown hair was wavy with bouncy curls towards the ends. "You're prompt." She commented, pulling Jane from his thoughts.

"You're self-conscious." Jane countered, easily reading her body language. Lisbon frowned, obviously resenting that. "Need help with the zipper?" He offered with a small, apologetic smile. Lisbon was caught off guard.

"How'd you…?" She began to ask, but Jane answered her unfinished question.

"You have your arms behind your back like your trying to hide something." Jane reasoned. He didn't bother to add that he had been married and that this wasn't exactly his first time in the situation. Lisbon frowned, feeling even more self-conscious, but she finally gave in with a sigh. She turned around and Jane walked up to her and secured the back of her dress. Lisbon quickly turned around, still feeling a little self-conscious. "You look beautiful." Jane told her sincerely. She smiled back at him.

"Do you tell that to all your dates?" She asked, walking past him to retrieve her purse and jacket.

"Depends on the date." Jane replied, following her out the door and down the hall to the stairs.

The temperature outside was moderate, not too hot and not too cold, but Lisbon also noticed that there was no moon tonight. They walked up to his car and Jane politely opened the passenger side door. Lisbon glanced over at Jane.

"Thank you." She stated before taking her seat. Jane closed the door and moved around to the driver's side. When he got in the car he had a devilish grin on his face. "Speed limit." Lisbon warned him. She never let him drive on the job because he drives too fast in her opinion. Of course, Jane says it's because she's too controlling. It was probably a little bit of both.

"You'll arrive at the dinner in perfect time." Jane teased, shifting the car into drive and pulling into the street. Lisbon smiled at his joke, but didn't reply. Their conversation reduced to silence.

* * *

6:56 PM

Jane stepped out of the car and was immediately greeted by the valet. He handed him the keys and the man gave him a valet number. Lisbon also got out of the car and walked around the front to stand next to Jane. "Classy party." Jane commented, observing the expensive hotel in front of him. An array of well-dressed individuals entered the building from all directions. Jane turned to see the valet drive away in his car. "We can't back out now." Jane added with a slight shrug and a grin. Lisbon smiled and then scanned the crowd.

"I wonder whether the rest of the team is here yet." She remarked, not recognizing anyone.

"See. I told you it's better to go with a date." Jane replied, offering his elbow. Lisbon looked at him with 'are you serious?' written on her face. Jane's smile did not falter, signaling to her that he was serious. Lisbon blushed a little. She linked her arm with his and the two headed to the front door arm in arm.

At the entrance, they literally had a man checking everyone's name off the list. Not to mention, security was insanely tight seeing as all the big names at CBI were present at the event.

"Patrick Jane and Teresa Lisbon." Jane told the man while Lisbon peered into the lobby in search of any familiar faces. They walked into the lobby.

"Did they really book the whole hotel for this fundraiser?" Lisbon commented, yet to find Cho, Rigsby, or Van Pelt.

"I guess." Jane shrugged indifferently. They followed the rest of the crowd to the main ballroom entrance, where there was a security screening and a stand to drop off jackets and purses. Jane and Lisbon broke apart. Jane waited for Lisbon to relinquish her jacket and purse to the lady manning the desk. Then they both joined the line to go through security.

"I feel like I'm in an airport." Lisbon stated in a quiet tone. Her eyes were trained on the advanced imaging equipment set up at the door.

"Do you think they'd kick me out for saying bomb?" Jane whispered. Lisbon laughed slightly.

"Yes." She responded curtly. "That would make this evening unforgettable." She added sarcastically.

Lisbon went first through the security checkpoint. The man scanned her and waved her through. Then the security guard ordered Jane to empty his pockets of any metal items. Jane pulled out his cell phone, his eyes studying the guard intently. The man went over Jane with a detector and then waved him through. Jane stepped forward, retrieved his phone, and then turned to the guard briefly.

"Don't worry about your marriage. Your wife will take you back." He told him, before taking Lisbon's arm in his and heading into the room. He didn't need to see the confused, awestricken look on the man's face to know he was right. Lisbon did though.

"How'd you know his marriage was failing? You were only around him for less than a minute." Lisbon pointed out, wondering yet again how Jane knew these things. Sometimes she fooled herself into thinking he actually was psychic.

"His mind was clearly focused on something else when he was scanning everyone. There are only a few things that can send someone's mind into an endless loop of guilt. Love is one of those. Also, you're not supposed to wear your wedding band when your using metal detectors, but he needed to in order to feel like his marriage still meant something…." Jane explained with a clever grin. He would have continued, but Lisbon had heard enough and interrupted him.

"You got that in less than a minute?" Lisbon asked in disbelief.

"Yeah." Jane confessed. She stared at him for a moment.

"No more mind reading." Lisbon told him. Jane eyed her suspiciously, but finally nodded. Suddenly, Lisbon's supervisor and his wife appeared in front of them.

"I'm surprised to see you two here… together." Mr. Patel commented. He was obviously glad that Lisbon showed up. Lisbon pulled her hand away from Jane so she could shake hands with the wife.

"Cindy Patel," the woman introduced herself formally.

"Teresa Lisbon." Lisbon replied with a polite smile. "It's nice to meet you." Mrs. Patel nodded, then turned to Jane.

"Patrick Jane." He added, also shaking Mrs. Patel's hand. Just as he pulled away his hand, another couple came over and introduced themselves. Jane could tell that the two new additions were higher up on the ladder at CBI because Mr. Patel tensed self-consciously. The two introduced themselves as Richard and Catherine Neil.

"Isn't this hotel lovely?" Mrs. Patel remarked, looking around the room. Mindless chitchat begins… Lisbon thought to herself. Her smile masked her discomfort from everyone… except Jane, who sensed her dread. Jane switched his gaze from Lisbon to Mrs. Patel. Her husband, Lisbon's boss, was indifferent while his wife seemed to be going through the motions. Catherine was a bit aloof, enjoying her wine more then the exchange of names and Richard was supervising, as was his day job. This is going to be easy, Jane thought to himself.

"Yes, it is." Lisbon replied, agreeing with Cindy Patel's comment. "Did you attend last year?" She asked, trying to say something in order to avoid an awkward silence. Jane wanted to roll his eyes at the pretentious nature of the conversation, but didn't. Instead, he decided to change the subject to something less cookie cutter and more exciting.

"Actually, this hotel reminds me of this case Lisbon solved last summer." Jane started, easily getting everyone's attention. "It all started with a murder of one of the hotel employees. Everyone thought it was the man's ex-wife. I believe it was even in the paper… anyways, Lisbon found a connection between the victim and a prominent drug ring…" Jane caught a look from Lisbon, who obviously noticed the slight variation he added to the story, but she did not comment.

"Jane, I hardly think this appropriate conversation." Mr. Patel interrupted with a disapproving glare. Jane anticipated his reaction, but also anticipated the rest of the group's.

"K.J., no need to censor. Let him speak. After all, justice is our business." Richard Neil explained. Jane found his last comment laughable and a clear representation of the man's ego, but he kept his amusement to himself.

"Yes, honey, let the man speak. This is the most interesting story I've heard in a long while." Mrs. Patel declared, keenly intrigued by the scenario. "You were saying." She directed to Jane.

"Well, it turns out there was a drug ring within the hotel and that the drugs were being transported by the maids in pillow cases and then payment came in the form of huge tips for the bellboys." Jane used his hands to emphasis. "We needed evidence to bust the ring, so we sent in some agents undercover as maids. Of course, what we didn't know was that the hotel manager was in on it too, so he leaked our plan to the drug dealers." Jane was reaching the climax of the story and having successfully built up interest, he was ready to hand it off to Lisbon. "But… I tend to get carried away with stories." He explained modestly. The group urged him to continue, but he added, "Lisbon could probably explain it better. She was leading the covert operation at the time. Of course, it was Patel who organized and arranged for the cover in the first place. We wouldn't have been able to pull it off without him." He concluded, easily making Patel and Lisbon look like the heroes of the epic tale.

"Really?" Catherine Neil spoke up, clearly interested. She directed the question at Lisbon, who replied with a coy smile.

"Uh… yes. It was a huge bust." Lisbon furthered, glancing over at Jane who had set her up.

"Why didn't you tell me about this case? It's truly fascinating." Cindy Patel directed at her husband, who seemed equally bashful. Jane smiled, truly enjoying the admiration Lisbon and Patel were getting… but now he was going to bail out.

"Would anyone like anything to drink?" Jane asked with a grin.

* * *

Jane moved through the crowd until he found the open bar where he recalled all the orders from memory. He was probably an excellent waiter in a past life. While waiting for the beverages, Jane took a seat at the bar and ordered a glass of chardonnay. Van Pelt suddenly arrived at the bar and took a seat beside Jane, but she didn't seem to notice him. She was wearing a sleek red dress that looked hardly worn, most likely new. She had on a pearl necklace with matching pearl earrings and a nice pair of black high heel shoes. Her hair was straight and shiny.

"Hiding out at the bar too?" Jane asked, getting Grace's attention. She turned to her right and was clearly surprised to see him.

"Hey, Jane." She replied. "I didn't see you sitting there." She smiled and then looked around for her boss. "Where's Lisbon?"

"Playing storyteller with her boss and her boss' boss." Jane answered with a shrug. "Where's Rigsby?" He asked. Van Pelt flinched slightly as if she was avoiding the subject. His blue eyes stared at her expectantly.

"He told me he loved me." She answered hesitantly. Jane was evidently surprised by the news.

"Right now?" He asked in disbelief.

"No. After the fire, when he got those burns. He was hyped up on pain meds and he just… spilled everything." She explained. Jane smiled, slightly amused. He could tell that Van Pelt had obviously been thinking about it a lot since then.

"Does he remember?" Jane asked curiously.

"No." Van Pelt answered, her gaze trained on the glass of red wine that the bartender had just given her.

"You don't like him?" Jane phrased it less like a question and more as an observation. Van Pelt didn't respond. Jane sensed that she was unsure if he could be trusted. "It's okay if you don't like him." He added, his tone casual and partially indifferent.

"I don't know." She finally admitted, shaking her head slightly. Jane took a sip before continuing.

"You think he's an okay guy, but you don't want to mix your personal life and your career." Jane explained, turning his stool so he could face her. She kept her eyes on the countertop.

"You're not going to tell him, are you?" She asked, almost worried.

"No." Jane responded without hesitation.

"But you're his friend." Grace added, looking up from the table.

"I'm not going to tell him for you." Jane explained, knowing what Van Pelt was getting at. She wanted him to tell Rigsby, so she wouldn't have to. "This has nothing to do with me," Jane reasoned, when she an innocent, confused expression. She sighed, still preoccupied with the issue. "It's just one date. Have a good time and then afterwards you can tell him you just want to be friends." He advised her with a reassuring smile. Van Pelt gave a tentative smile.

"You're actually very helpful." She told him while taking another sip.

"Everyone who's ever told me that always throws in the 'actually.'" Jane joked with a curt smile. Van Pelt smiled too. "You look very nice by the way." Jane pointed out, while turning his eyes to meet hers.

"Thanks. You look quite snazzy yourself." She countered, still smiling.

"Snazzy?" Jane asked, laughing slightly.

"A word my father used a lot." Van Pelt confessed.

"A football coach saying the word 'snazzy?'" Jane remarked, clearly amused. "Somehow that's hard to imagine." He commented.

"Not everyone's as predictable as you think they are, Jane." Van Pelt added. Jane admired her wit. Suddenly she started laughing to herself, recalling a funny memory.

"What?" Jane asked, laughing a little.

"Have you seen Cho's date? She looks like a model from Victoria Secret." Van Pelt spilled, laughing some more at the image.

"Probably is." Jane agreed.

"Rigsby and I are trying to decide if he paid her or not." Van Pelt continued, still finding it amusing. Jane wondered whether she had had too much wine for the evening.

"That's cold." Jane countered with a curt smile.

"It's not that Cho is unattractive. It's that I didn't know women like that existed in the real world." Van Pelt furthered with a decisive grin.

"Oh then I really have to see this." Jane declared, his eyes scanning the crowd for Cho.

"We grabbed a table in the corner back there. It'd be great if you two joined us." Van Pelt pointed at a table across the room. Jane spotted Rigsby, but no one else he knew.

"Sure," Jane replied, "but first I need to bail out Lisbon."


	6. Dancing

Chapter 6: Dancing

Thursday, 8:39 PM

"Here are your drinks." Jane handed out the glasses. Lisbon seemed glad to see him, as did everyone else in the group. Jane noted how the group had expanded considerably since he left. "I'm sorry to interrupt, but Teresa, some people at the corner table wanted to meet you." He said it in such a polite manner that only Lisbon knew he was making fun of them. Nonetheless, it was a means of escape.

"Oh." She replied, turning to her company. "It was very nice meeting all of you." She responded with a smile. Their farewells varied from 'the pleasure's ours' and 'best of luck' to 'great talking to you' and 'see you tomorrow.'

"Nice meeting you." Jane replied, pulling Lisbon from the conversation. They disappeared into the crowd in search of the corner table.

"You made me look like a saint you know." Lisbon commented, once out of earshot.

"It was all true." Jane shrugged, his grin tantamount to 'you owe me one.'

"You were the one who made the connection to the drug ring and Cho and Rigsby were the ones undercover… as maids." Lisbon commented, laughing at the last part.

"I'll always remember Rigsby's face when I told him." Jane remarked before answering her comment. "If you hadn't backed me up on the idea, we wouldn't have busted them." Jane explained, knowing that a lot of his crazy ideas would've amounted to nothing had it not been for Lisbon's reluctant approval. No matter how insane the idea, she always cracked and backed him up. "You are highly deserving of sainthood," Jane added, "or at least some recognition." He shrugged.

"Well, thanks for making the conversation bearable and for making me look good." Lisbon confessed.

"It wasn't easy." Jane joked with a grin.

"Ha. Ha. Funny." Lisbon remarked sarcastically, not amused. "Also, thanks for coming back after ditching me there." She reminded him with an even glare, intended more as humorous than hostile.

"But I did make you a saint." He justified, as they arrived at the table. Van Pelt had saved two seats next to her and Rigsby.

"Hi Lisbon. Jane." She greeted them, efficiently getting everyone's attention. Rigsby was wearing a black suit with a blue and silver tie. He smiled; glad to see Jane and Lisbon. Next to Rigsby was Cho's mystery date. She had bright blue eyes and dark long hair. She looked of Indian decent and was wearing a silver dress adorned with little bright gems and intricate embroidery. Overall, her dress was pretty, but a little over the top with so many busy designs; however, she did have that super model quality Van Pelt had mentioned. She was taller than Cho and she seemed to have a slight arrogant air to her. Jane could tell she was smart and that with her looks came the ability to intimidate. Cho, who was sitting on her right, was decked out in a tailored suit with a red bow tie. The tie made him stand out and though he didn't exactly match his tie to his date's outfit, he still looked perfectly in place by her side.

"Cho? Who's your friend?" Lisbon asked while trying to be polite, yet somewhat condescending. Her voice pulled Jane from his observations.

"Sally Peters." Cho answered for her, watching their reactions intently. Jane leaned over to Lisbon.

"That is so not her name." He whispered amusedly, before returning his gaze to 'Sally.' Lisbon was tempted to agree, but instead introduced herself.

"I'm Teresa Lisbon." The woman looked her over.

"Hello." She offered, standing up to shake her hand briefly before brushing her off to introduce herself to Jane. "And you are?" She asked, intrigued by the consultant.

"Patrick Jane." He answered, smiling incessantly. "Pleasure to meet you."

"The pleasure's mine." She replied with a cunning smile. "Your friend is cute." She commented; her eyes still trained on Jane. Jane gave her a charming little smile, which made Lisbon want to hit him. It was obvious to Jane that both Lisbon and Van Pelt were jealous of the newcomer and harbored some hostility towards her. Rigsby didn't seem to notice and Jane found it simply amusing. Cho, on the other hand, was not fazed by Sally's comment and was obviously used to this behavior from his date.

"How'd you two meet?" Lisbon asked, trying to reinforce that Sally was _Cho's_ date.

"Grocery isle." Sally replied with a graceful smile. Jane almost burst out laughing at the absurdity. Lisbon smiled slightly.

"The buffet is open. I'd get some food before the line gets too long." Rigsby said, standing up to join the line toward the left side of the ballroom.

* * *

9:00 PM

Jane made sure to find a spot in line in front of Cho and Sally. Rigsby was in front of Jane and Lisbon was in front of him. Meanwhile, Van Pelt was talking to Sally.

"Hey, Cho." Jane remarked, getting the man's attention. "What magazine did you really find her in?" He asked with a cunning grin. The tone had been a little mean, but Cho had it coming.

"Sally is a childhood friend." Cho answered, unfazed by everyone's suspicions.

"Childhood friend? Really?" Rigsby asked curiously.

"Really." Cho answered flagrantly. "I called her up a few months back and we _rekindled_ our friendship." He added with the hint of a smile on his face. Jane just watched him expectantly as the line edged forward.

"A few months?" Rigsby asked in disbelief.

"This conversation will go faster if you stop repeating everything I say in the form of a question." Cho pointed out, efficiently silencing Rigsby.

"Okay. I believe you." Jane finally said, pretending to drop his inquisition. He turned to face forward only briefly before turning back and resuming his questioning. "And you got her number from which agency?" He added, drawing from what Cho had said earlier. Cho frowned slightly. The group finally reached the buffet.

"Wouldn't you like to know?" He taunted, grabbing a paper plate.

"I would." Jane countered, halting the line and turning to face Cho.

"So you decide to hold the chicken hostage." Cho remarked as Jane blocked his access to the food. Jane just smiled patiently.

"Very mature…" Lisbon stated sarcastically, her plate already full of food. Cho eyed the dinner and finally gave in.

"I happened across her in a _Sport's Illustrated_," He confessed, "but I'm serious about the childhood friend part. I met her in High School." He quickly added. "We were both in the rocket club." Cho shrugged. Jane watched his eyes intently before accepting his story with a smile.

"Effective." Lisbon added, amused by Cho's story. "_You_ were in a rocket club?"

"_She_ was in a rocket club?" Rigsby asked, smiling.

* * *

9:34 PM

They were sitting at the table finishing their meals when Van Pelt announced, "I have a question." Everyone looked up from their dinner. "Do people... _dance_ at fundraising dinners?" She asked hesitantly. Her tone was curious with a hint of hopefulness.

"Doubt there's a rule against it." Jane commented, pushing his plate into the middle of the table.

"If you don't mind being the first." Lisbon added, looking towards the center of the room to see only a few couples dancing to some classic music. They were songs that everyone knew, but only a handful knew from where.

"It's just I've never been to party with no dancing." Van Pelt remarked, somewhat dismayed by the lack of enthusiasm. Jane turned his gaze to Rigsby, who caught his glaring look. Rigsby's eyes widened slightly as he read Jane's expression.

"I can't dance." He answered Jane's unasked question. Jane frowned slightly.

"It doesn't matter." Lisbon offered. "No one will see." She furthered hoping he would cave.

"No one except the whole CBI agency and everyone with the ability to fire you." Cho remarked blatantly, receiving glares from both Lisbon and Jane. Sally even frowned at Cho's despairing comment. She turned to Rigsby.

"I'm sure you dance wonderfully." Sally told him with a comforting smile. Van Pelt also turned to him with a hopeful smile, but Rigsby was speechless and nervous under all the pressure. Jane was the one to break the silence.

"Teresa, care to dance?" Jane asked in an exaggerated tone, turning to his date. Lisbon turned to him, taken by surprise. "Grace is right. A party's not a party without dancing." Jane explained. He watched as Lisbon's mind processed the pros and cons of accepting his offer.

"It's a dinner." She corrected him. Jane held his gaze. "I'm not much of a dancer." She added modestly with a shy smile, but by this point she knew she had lost the battle.

"Neither am I." Jane shrugged, with a victorious smile. Lisbon smiled back, rising to her feet.

"We're coming too." Rigsby announced, also standing up. Van Pelt turned to him excitedly. "If you like to dance… then we'll dance." He admitted, still seemingly nervous about 'dancing.' Jane and Lisbon both smiled, finding the scene sweet.

Jane then took Lisbon's hand and led her to the dance floor and, for once, he didn't call attention to her blushing red cheeks. They arrived silently on the dance floor, both smiling as Jane placed his hand on the small of her back and Lisbon rested her arm on top of his. The dance started off as a simple swaying across the dance floor until it turned into something more fun and carefree involving spins and quick movements paired perfectly with the beat. It was no specific dance in particular, but a mixture of different styles applied spontaneously with the music. It wasn't long before Lisbon showed her true colors and started dancing gracefully and swiftly by using her arms and steps to keep in tune with the rhythm. Sometimes she'd spin out of Jane's arms and dance by herself briefly and Jane couldn't help but just watch her because she truly was a talented dancer. Then when she noticed that Jane was simply watching her, she'd come forward and grab his hands and pull him into the dance with her. This time it was Jane who blushed shyly.

Meanwhile, Van Pelt was teaching Rigsby the basics of dancing, consisting of 'don't step on my feet' and 'place your hand higher' and 'not that high' and 'don't overcompensate.' Rigsby's height and hesitance combined to make dancing a difficult feat; however, Van Pelt didn't seem to mind as she enjoyed teaching him, meeting his clumsiness with a reassuring smile.

The song switched to something no one recognized and quite frankly no one could dance to. "They ruined the moment," Lisbon sighed, as they slowed to a halt and moved toward the edge of the dance floor. Jane just smiled. "I lied." Lisbon confessed suddenly, making eye contact.

"I know," Jane shrugged with a cunning smile. Lisbon narrowed her gaze suspiciously.

"Now you're lying." Lisbon accused, sure that he was bluffing.

"You used to take dance classes as a kid." Jane told her with a clever smile. She stared at him, not only surprised, but also a little taken back by how much he knew about her. "There was a picture in your apartment." He explained. Lisbon thought back to her apartment and to the photo Jane saw.

"How'd you know that was me?" She asked curiously, tilting her head slightly.

"It looked like you." Jane shrugged. "Same green eyes. Same smile." He furthered.

"So how can it be that you know so much about me and yet I know nothing about you?" Lisbon questioned.

"Nothing?" Jane asked, feigning surprise.

"What were you like before I met you?" Lisbon inquired.

"A trouble-maker." Jane answered simply with another devilish grin.

"I guess that shouldn't be a surprise." Lisbon remarked with a slight nod of the head. Jane noted that Lisbon was far more relaxed than she had been earlier in the evening.

"Smart. Handsome. Master of the arts." Jane continued with a sly grin. Lisbon rolled her eyes. "Let's say, every day was April's Fools day for me." He answered honestly.

"That sounds more like you." Lisbon declared, trying to imagine a young Patrick Jane. They were silent for a moment before Lisbon picked up the conversation. "So where'd you learn to dance?" She asked curiously. Jane's gaze drifted to the floor before shifting his eyes nervously.

"My wife." He answered.

"Oh." Lisbon replied, feeling a pang of regret for bringing up the sensitive topic when everything had been going so well. Jane watched her reaction.

"Why do you do that?" He asked, frowning slightly.

"What?" Lisbon replied, bemused.

"I was married. It's not a forbidden topic." Jane explained, feeling somewhat guilty himself for ruining the conversation. "It comes up." He added. Lisbon's expression morphed into confusion.

"You don't talk about her much, Patrick." She informed him. "Actually, I don't think you've ever talked about her." She furthered, justifying her discomfort towards the subject. "I figure you don't like to bring it up." Lisbon concluded with a shrug. Jane was not sure what to say. His mind kept going over what he said. He doesn't normally feel comfortable talking about her. Even earlier in the evening he was careful to keep any thoughts about his wife to himself, but now he was suddenly telling Lisbon he didn't mind talking about her and that she shouldn't feel guilty for bringing it up. Instead of letting the instance drop like he normally does, he almost... _wanted_ to talk about her with Lisbon. Jane still hadn't said anything, which made Lisbon feel uneasy. She quickly excused herself, "I'm going to get something to drink." She then left and headed to the bar, leaving Jane standing by himself on the edge of the dance floor. He was lost in his thoughts when Van Pelt appeared beside him.

"You okay, Jane?" She asked, noting his blank stare. Jane turned to watch Lisbon disappear into the crowd.

"I think I'm falling for Lisbon." Jane stated calmly, only processing the words after he said them. He paused before finally making eye contact with Van Pelt. She was surprised by his sudden and unprovoked confession, but she was quick with a reply.

"You look... surprised." She observed. His eyes returned to the floor. "You obviously liked her enough to ask her on a date." Van Pelt added.

"Yeah, I like her, but I _can't_… fall for her." He confessed, as if the idea was impossible. He seemed almost nervous. Van Pelt was about to respond when Rigsby found her and interrupted excitedly.

"Hey, Jane!" He exclaimed, seemingly drunk. "Van Pelt is an amazing dancer!" He added with a confident grin, staggering slightly. Jane looked up from his thoughts. "You okay?" Rigsby asked, finally realizing that his enthusiasm was not shared. Jane shook his head slightly.

"I'm great. Just tired I guess." Jane lied. "I'll see you two at the table," he added before heading to the bar in search of Lisbon.

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**Don't worry... kissing scenes will be coming in the next chapter... :)  
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	7. Wonderwall

Chapter 7: Wonderwall

Thursday, 10:10 PM

Patrick Jane passed by the table, but stopped when he saw Sally and Cho making out. Yes, legitimately making out in full view of all Cho's superiors. They were sitting in their same seats, leaning into each other while kissing passionately. Jane stood paralyzed for a moment as he processed the scene in front of him. Then he grinned devilishly and quickly pulled out his phone to get the make-out session on video. He knew Van Pelt and Rigsby would want to see Cho kiss a supermodel. Lisbon would probably want to see it too, though she'd never admit it. It took a full minute for the couple to notice Jane filming them. "Jane!" Cho managed to get out. Jane gave them a sailor's salute paired with an innocent smile before turning around and hastily resuming his search for Lisbon. Cho was tempted to pursue him, but Sally held him back with another kiss that erased any anger he harbored towards the consultant.

Jane found Lisbon sitting on the same stool he had been sitting at earlier. He snuck up behind her and poked her in the side. She jumped, obviously ticklish, before abruptly turning around with the intention of giving the antagonist a piece of her mind. When she recognized Jane her anger quickly dissipated and was replaced with curiosity.

"I'm sorry." Jane admitted, moving so he could lean against the bar, seeing as all the seats were taken.

"For what?" Lisbon countered, raising her eyebrows slightly. Jane shrugged.

"I have a way of killing conversation." He explained, and then proceeded to order a glass of water from the bartender. Lisbon eyed him suspiciously. Jane turned back to her. "I'll make it up to you," he offered sincerely.

"Oh really?" Lisbon asked with a subtle grin, still suspicious of Jane's next move. The bartender returned and handed Jane his water.

"A slow dance." Jane answered, returning the smile. He took a sip of water before continuing. "You don't have to talk during a slow dance." He explained with an apologetic smile. Lisbon just kept smiling. "Do you have a song request?" He added. Lisbon pretended to think over the question, before giving him an answer.

"Wonderwall." She replied. Jane smiled and then left the bar. He took only a few steps before abruptly returning to Lisbon.

"Stay here." He added, before leaving again.

* * *

10:21 PM

Jane found it interesting that CBI rented an entire hotel for a fundraising dinner, yet they didn't spend any money on a band. Instead they had something of a D.J., except one had to remember that, of all the guests, Jane and Lisbon were actually among the younger ones, which made Rigsby and Van Pelt practically children. In other words, most of the music was before their time. Luckily, the "D.J." did have Wonderwall by Oasis.

Jane finally returned to the bar when the song started to play. To his surprise, Lisbon was nowhere to be seen. Suddenly, someone poked him in the side, which immediately made him jump and spin around. When he had turned a full 180 degrees, Lisbon was standing there laughing at him. Jane couldn't help but smile back at her.

_Today is gonna be the day that they're gonna throw it back to you,  
By now you should've somehow realized what you gotta do,  
I don't believe that anybody feels the way I do… about you now._

Jane offered his hand and they returned to the dance floor. This time Lisbon carefully wrapped his arms around Jane's neck, while Jane put his hands on her hips. A slow dance didn't require talent, only a basic swaying motion; however, the key to a slow dance was to know how close you could get to your partner without one of you feeling awkward. It was Lisbon who seemed to close the gap between them. She felt a lot more comfortable around Jane after an evening of being his date. She liked being his date because she liked being the center of his attention. Normally, having Jane's full attention lead to him discovering some flaw in her character or he would observe some secret she was hiding. Most of the time he did not actually reveal anything, but she somehow felt her soul was exposed when he looked at her. When he looked at anyone. But somehow, she did not seem to mind what he saw in her now. She wondered whether anything had really changed between them… if tomorrow morning at work, they'd act differently around each other.

She hoped they would.

_I don't believe that anybody feels the way I do about you now._

Jane didn't mind Lisbon being so close, even though the close proximity made him blush slightly. They were almost embracing each other, but it felt right. Lisbon rested her head on his chest and Jane, in turn, rested his head against hers.

_There are many things that I would like to say to you,  
But I don't know how…_

Lisbon caught sight of Van Pelt's bright red dress on the other side of the dance floor. Rigsby and her were both the same height so they were face to face as they danced. Jane noticed how Lisbon had moved slightly, so he lifted his head and followed Lisbon's gaze. Rigsby and Van Pelt seemed to be talking when suddenly Van Pelt leaned in and caught Rigsby's lips with her own. It was a brief kiss that seemed to take both of them by surprise. Both Lisbon and Jane smiled because it was no secret that Rigsby and Van Pelt belonged together.

_Because maybe,  
You're gonna be the one who saves me,  
And after all,  
You're my wonderwall,_

"I guess they forgot that the whole CBI agency is here." Jane commented. His voice was quiet, but Lisbon still heard his words over the song. Rigsby and Van Pelt were now enveloped in a second kiss; this one was less hesitant and more forceful.

"They'll never live it down come tomorrow." She added.

"I'm the one that hooked them up." Jane said softly, easily taking credit. Lisbon looked up at him.

"Yeah, you're a regular matchmaker." She mused, suddenly realizing the implication of that statement. Jane noticed it too, but didn't voice it.

Maybe they too _belonged_ together.

_You're gonna be the one that saves me._

As the song ended, Lisbon and Jane pulled apart, both sparing one last look at the happy couple on the dance floor. Then they returned to their table to find it vacant. Cho and Sally were nowhere to be seen.

"Do you want to leave?" Lisbon asked, noticing how many people had already left and that those who remained were mostly drunk or about to be. Jane nodded.

"Sure. Let's get your purse." He reminded her, as they left the table for the exit.

"Imagine how many people will be hung over at work in the morning." Lisbon commented, watching as some people staggered toward the exit… or the bar.

"We may be the only sober ones there." Jane added.

"We may be the only ones there, period." Lisbon remarked, feeling as if she were one of the few sober people at the party. She wondered how many people would call in sick tomorrow. They retrieved Lisbon's coat and purse before finally leaving the hotel.

* * *

10:55 PM

Jane found a parking spot right outside Lisbon's apartment. It felt like a lifetime since they'd left to go to the dinner, but now it was over and they were back.

"I actually had a great time." Lisbon broke the silence.

"Me too." Jane nodded, sensing an uncomfortable tension between them.

"Thanks for everything." She added, somewhat awkwardly. She didn't seem to know how to end the date. _Should I just leave it at that? Should I voice my feelings? Should I kiss him?_

The last thought made her pause. _How'd that get in there?_ She tried to convince herself that wasn't secretly what she was waiting for, but to be honest, it was.

"We should go out again sometime." Jane said, also slightly uneasy. He turned to look at her so he could read her reaction to his comment. He knew it was only a date and that they were just friends, and that she was his boss and he was a consultant. He also sensed that Lisbon shared some feelings for him, but he couldn't act on them even if it was mutual.

"Yeah. We should." She replied candidly. She opened the car door and took a few steps before Jane's voice called from behind her.

"I probably should see you to the door." He stated, not sure why he felt obligated to do so. Lisbon turned around to find him standing on the pavement, his head peering over the top of his car. Lisbon did not have to reply as Jane closed the car door and walked around the car until he was standing on the sidewalk next to her. They started walking towards the building when Lisbon felt compelled to speak.

"This has been the best date I've had in a long time." She told him honestly. She had trouble remembering the last time she had been on a date. Being a CBI agent made it hard to find time for a social life, or maybe it was because she had never wanted a social life.

"I was aiming for best date ever, but in a long time will do." Jane joked, attempting to lighten the mood.

"Well… it's not over yet." Lisbon hinted as they reached the doorstep. As soon as she said it, she paused. She was not sure what part of her that had come from, because it did not sound like something she would say. After all, she was the by the book cop and he was the unpredictable consultant. What she had said came out as almost an invitation.

Jane picked up on it immediately. He paused next to Lisbon, leaning forward slightly so he could read her expression. He wasn't sure if she actually meant what he thought she did. Lisbon turned to him slightly, so she could read his reaction. Jane glanced at the street before taking a step towards Lisbon. He then placed his hand on her cheek and gave her a long tender kiss. Though Lisbon had wanted it to happen, she was still surprised when it did. She barely remembered to kiss back when suddenly Jane pulled away. His warmth left her so abruptly that she could feel herself shiver. She watched, dumbstruck, as Jane slowly brushed his hand over his lips, as if processing what he did, before quickly turning and heading down the steps.

"Jane…?" Lisbon managed to ask, somewhat hurt, but more so curious as to why Jane broke off the kiss. Jane stopped in his tracks and turned around slowly so he could face her. He seemed nervous, but Lisbon also saw that his eyes revealed an overwhelming sense of guilt. What she did not understand was why he would feel guilty. Her look begged for an explanation and Jane was reluctant to give her one.

"I can't." He said quietly, as if his hands were tied on the matter.

"_You_ kissed me." Lisbon pointed out, proving that in fact he could. Jane shuffled his stance as he thought about how to explain.

"I like you." He announced, making eye contact with Lisbon.

"I like you too." Lisbon responded nonchalantly. Her heart was pounding faster now that he knew how she felt and she knew how he felt. The only thing that kept her from moving was that guilty look that Jane had.

"I haven't been on a date since my wife and daughter died." He confessed, his gaze alternating between Lisbon and the ground. Lisbon did not know what to say, so she remained silent. "I haven't kissed someone besides my wife since I got married." He added. "I can't…" He finally concluded. Lisbon nodded as if she understood, but her eyes revealed hurt. Jane felt another pang of guilt at Lisbon's disappointment, but he still felt bound to his wife in some way. She felt like he was betraying her.

She was dead. He knew that. But he was hers. No matter how much he liked Teresa Lisbon.

That's what he kept telling himself as he got in his car and drove away.

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	8. Moving On

**Wow. "Red John's Friends" was an intense episode. Poor Jane.**

**I'm not entirely sure why I gravitated to a Van Pelt/Jane friendship, but I somehow find that it works. Jane and Van Pelt both needed to confide in someone about their problems, so why not each other?**

Chapter 8: Moving On

Surprisingly, Grace Van Pelt was still awake and was still wearing her long, scarlet dress around her apartment. She had returned from the party about 20 minutes earlier with Rigsby, who had quickly collapsed on her couch once he stepped into her apartment. He was sleeping peacefully now, while Van Pelt found herself wandering through her apartment, lost deep in her thoughts.

She had had fun at the party. The highlight was, of course, her kissing Rigsby on the dance floor. She had been directing him on the fundamentals of slow dancing when she had the urge to kiss him. He was so close that in one quick moment, she had pressed her lips against his. Neither of them had seen it coming.

Grace kept going over the scene in her head and everything that happened afterwards. They pulled apart only briefly before reuniting in a more passionate kiss that had them both gasping for breath when it finally ended. Then they had left the hotel and called a taxi. Van Pelt had not intended for Rigsby to stay at her apartment, but he had been too drunk to make it home on his own. Van Pelt learned a lot about Rigsby, but first and foremost, she had learned that Rigsby had an extremely low tolerance for alcohol, hence why he was passed out on her couch.

She was worried about tomorrow. She had no idea where her relationship with Rigsby was going and who had seen her kissing him. Not to mention, her head was already pounding after having far too many glasses of wine.

Then she realized that the pounding was not in her head. Someone was knocking on her front door.

She peeked around the corner and cautiously approached the door. She looked through the peephole and immediately recognized the man waiting outside. Van Pelt opened the door, her face expressing curiosity.

"Jane?" She asked. Jane looked a little lost standing right outside her apartment. His eyes were weary and revealed discontent.

"I wasn't sure you'd be back yet from the party." He confessed, looking her over. She was still in her dress, which made Jane wonder where her date was. "Is Rigsby here?" He asked hesitantly, trying not to imply anything.

"Passed out on the couch actually." Van Pelt informed him, seemingly indifferent. She nodded to the couch in the middle of the room. Her apartment had an open floor plan, so Jane could see the living room, the dining room, and part of the kitchen from the front entrance. Van Pelt quickly changed the subject. "What's up?"

"You have a nice apartment." Jane remarked, still standing in the hall. He seemed to evading the real reason he was there.

"I know you didn't come over here to see my apartment." Van Pelt countered tiredly. Jane's eyes softened. "You want to come in?" She offered, stepping aside. He entered her apartment, sparing a glance at Rigsby before turning back to Grace. She looked at him expectantly.

"I kissed Lisbon." He shrugged, trying to brush it off as a non-issue; however, Van Pelt had the keen sense to recognize he was deeply troubled. She bowed her head slightly before stepping past Jane towards the kitchen. Jane followed.

"And?" She prodded, gesturing towards a stool at her breakfast bar. Jane took a seat while Van Pelt started to make some coffee.

"I just… left her on the front step." Jane confessed shamefully. Van Pelt turned to him, obviously surprised.

"Why?" She asked, not quite understanding. Jane glanced around the room nervously. He was not sure why he felt uncomfortable. To be honest, he was not sure why he had driven to Van Pelt's apartment.

"I was married." Jane told her. "I haven't kissed someone else since and…" His voice drifted as he started to think through his justification. "When I think about being with someone else, I feel like I'm betraying her." He finally concluded, making eye contact with Van Pelt. There was a brief silence.

"Your wife would have wanted you to move on." Van Pelt reasoned.

"It's not that simple." Jane argued, having already considered this. "Maybe if I had only been married, but I… I had…" Jane paused, "I had a daughter… a little girl. I had a family and a life planned for us." He continued, not entirely sure why he felt compelled to tell Van Pelt these very personal details. "Red John took _everything_." His voice held a hidden passion, a hatred, that everyone knew was there, but had hardly ever seen. Everyone knew Jane wanted revenge and everyone knew why, but no one talked about it. "I can't just start over and pretend it never happened."

"You're not replacing her, Jane." Van Pelt ventured, finding it hard to imagine loosing everything.

"I know." He answered. He paused and considered how much he should tell Van Pelt. "What if something happens to her?" Jane asked, his voice very quiet. Van Pelt gave him a bemused look, so he elaborated. "What if I start over with Lisbon and… one day she's not there anymore?" He asked, imagining the possibility of Lisbon being killed. "What if Red John…?" Jane's voice drifted, both of them knew what he was implying. There was another silence between them.

"My father used to tell me that there is no such thing as security… only opportunity." She explained, hearing her father's words filter through her memory. Jane watched her as she continued. "I could be killed by a meteor at any moment." She stated bluntly. "Now, either I can spend my whole life worrying about an impending meteor or I can actually go out and live my life." Van Pelt repeated her father's famed example.

"The problem is that one in millionth chance happened." Jane countered. "I never thought that they would die… and there's not a day that goes by that I don't think about them." He finished, his eyes sincere. The silence resumed for another minute.

"Jane, if you're not ready for this… she'll understand." Van Pelt reassured him, trying to divert the subject away from Red John.

"It was only a date." Jane tried to convince himself.

"I was going to tell Rigsby what I told you, but I ended up asking him on another date." Van Pelt confessed, smiling slightly at how nothing works out as planned.

"In other words, emotion conquers reason." Jane remarked, a smile returning to his complexion. Somehow, their shared confusion lightened the mood.

"Pretty much." Van Pelt shrugged. "I kissed him on the dance floor." She furthered, her mind replaying the kiss in her head again.

"I know. I saw." Jane answered flagrantly. Van Pelt did not seem to process his words and instead continued on her original train of thought.

"I'm sure everyone at CBI saw us." She finished worriedly. Then suddenly she realized that Jane had seen her, meaning that the rest of the team probably saw her. "Great…" She sighed, placing her hand on her forehead. "I'll never hear the end of it."

"You'll get through it." Jane assured her. He grinned mischievously. "You like him." Jane teased slightly. Van Pelt's cheeks glowed a bright red.

"Do you want some coffee?" She deferred, holding up a cup.

"No thanks." He responded, realizing how late it was.

"I've been meaning to ask… why are you here?" Van Pelt asked hesitantly, her eyes revealing curiosity. "Why are you telling _me_ all this stuff? We hardly know each other." She reminded him. She was still relatively new at CBI and she had not had many conversations with Jane. If they did talk it normally resulted in a battle of beliefs, him being a logical atheist and her, a devote Christian who believed in the paranormal.

Jane considered her question, but had no real answer. "I don't know." He shrugged. "You're easy to talk to maybe. You give good advice." He surmised, feeling off his game. Normally he was a step ahead, but the combination of tiredness, twisted emotions, and haunting memories made it harder to think through his actions.

"You didn't know that when you came to my door at midnight and until now, it's been_ you_ giving _me_ the advice." Van Pelt countered logically.

"I'm sorry for coming over so late." Jane sincerely apologized.

"I don't mind. You're not the only one who can't sleep." Van Pelt told him. "But I only have one couch." She added.

"Yeah. I should go home." Jane reasoned. "I'll see you tomorrow." He said, standing up from the stool and leaving the kitchen. Van Pelt followed and opened the door for him.

"Good night." She said, as Jane waved tiredly and disappeared down the hall. Van Pelt sighed and turned back to the living room where Rigsby was turning in his sleep. She closed the door and looked over at the couch before turning off the lights. "Good night, Rigsby."

* * *

Friday, 8:06 AM

Lisbon walked into the CBI office to find Van Pelt and Rigsby on either side of Jane, all three leaning against Cho's desk. Their eyes were all trained on Jane's cell phone, which he held at eye level. As soon as she entered, Jane's eyes drifted away from the screen and met hers. Within his blue eyes was a reminder of everything that happened between them. She could also tell that he was trying to read her eyes to see where their relationship stood. He wanted to know if she was planning to ignore him or alienate him or pretend that nothing happened. Lisbon turned her eyes away and instead focused on the situation before her. She could hear a faint recording of last night's music and then a sudden shout coming from the phone.

_"Jane!"_ Lisbon recognized Cho's voice from what she guessed was a video recording from the party last night.

"What are you guys watching?" She asked curiously, but her question went unanswered when Cho entered the room behind her. Jane, Rigsby, and Van Pelt all looked up at him, feigning innocence. Cho had also heard his voice on Jane's phone and his eyes immediately darkened. He approached the three and then held out his hand expectantly.

"Give me the phone." He ordered, leaving no room for discussion; however, Jane was not intimidated.

"Wouldn't you like to have it?" He teased, echoing one of the lines Cho had said to him at the dinner. Cho's frown deepened.

"You're just jealous." He slighted. For a brief moment, Lisbon was scared Jane would say something about their kiss, but Jane's eyes revealed nothing. Instead, he kept his calm, confident smile and was quick with an answer.

"Yes, exactly. I'm just _so_ jealous of you and Sally." He joked, his words dripping with sarcasm. Jane's eyes brightened a little and he added sincerely, "You two are cute together." He smirked and Cho quickly reached out to steal the phone from Jane's hand, but Jane saw it coming. He moved the phone out of Cho's reach, which was not hard seeing as he was much taller than Cho. Lisbon thought the scene resembled a kindergarten class.

"How old are we? Five?" She interrupted, stepping towards the two agents. "I expect this kind of thing from Jane, but Cho?" She remarked. Jane and Cho stopped their battle and stepped apart. Lisbon smiled. "We have a case." She declared, handing the file to Cho. Jane noted that she did not hand the file to him.

"Terrific." Rigsby muttered sarcastically. He had relocated to his own desk and Lisbon could tell he was recovering from a nasty hang over. His eyes were tired and red and he cringed whenever anyone spoke.

"The police think it was a mugging gone bad. Boss wants us to look into it." Lisbon explained. She could feel Jane's blue eyes watching her every move. She tried her best to ignore him.

"So what do you want us to do, boss?" Van Pelt asked curiously, also sensing the tension between Lisbon and Jane.

"Van Pelt and I will contact the victim's family and get some more information about her. Cho and Jane, go to the crime scene and see if you can turn up any leads. Rigsby, stay here and man the desk." She ordered, purposefully separating herself from Jane. They both needed some time apart to get over what happened.

"Thank you." Rigsby muttered, rubbing his hand against his throbbing head. Lisbon moved towards Rigsby.

"Don't show up at this office again hungover." She apprised, letting him off with a warning. She then left the room and headed to her office to retrieve her gun. Jane immediately followed with the intention of talking to her. Lisbon was standing behind her desk when she sensed Jane standing in her doorway.

"What are you doing?" She asked, avoiding his eyes. She pulled out her gun and checked the clip.

"Can we talk?" He asked in a calm, serious tone.

"I'm working and so should you." She refused, her tone somewhat harsh. Jane held his gaze, but Lisbon did not fold. "Just drop it." She told him, walking to the door. He stepped aside, allowing her to get by. Lisbon walked down the hall, leaving Jane standing at her door.

"But I don't want to drop it." Jane answered, hoping she would change her mind. Just then, Cho and Van Pelt turned the corner and suddenly stopped a few feet behind Jane. Lisbon stopped and looked back at him briefly. To be honest, she was not mad at him. It was not his fault. His wife and daughter were murdered five years ago and it made perfect sense for him to be distant. That being said, she was not sure how to act around him. She was disappointed and hurt… and her mind kept flashing back to the date and his charming smile and the way he took her arm and walked her to the door… and then the kiss. She did not want to think about him and the best way to do that was to be boss and keep him away from her. Lisbon's eyes met Jane's. She was tempted to give in, but when she saw Van Pelt and Cho she decided against it.

"Van Pelt, you coming?" She asked, slightly irritated. Van Pelt nodded and quickly followed her down the hall, sparing a sympathetic glance at Jane. Once they had left, Cho walked up beside Jane.

"Marital problems?" Cho asked indifferently. Jane glanced over at him, but ignored the comment.

"I'm driving." Jane announced, holding out his hand for the key.

"Only if you delete the video." Cho countered, not letting the issue drop. Jane's eyes revealed amusement.

"You don't really care about the video." Jane observed with a smile. "You want everyone to see you and Miss Sally Peters." He convinced him. Cho's face revealed nothing, but he pulled the keys from his pocket and dropped them into Jane's hand.

"I want a copy." Cho stated before heading down the hall towards the elevator.

* * *

Friday, 10:45 AM

Lisbon and Van Pelt had just finished interviewing the family and were standing on the house's front porch when Lisbon's phone started to ring. She looked at the caller I.D. and frowned.

"This better be important." She answered, sparing a glance at Van Pelt before relocating to a more private area of the patio.

"I need to talk to you." Jane responded. Lisbon glanced back at Van Pelt to make sure she was out of earshot.

"I'm in the middle of the interview. I have to go." She lied, but Jane quickly stopped her.

"You already finished the interview and now your standing outside with Van Pelt. Now is the perfect time to talk because you always want to discuss the case immediately after the interview." Jane explained. Lisbon quickly scanned the area for Jane's car, but saw no one.

"How do you know that?" She demanded.

"I know how long it takes for you to question a family." He answered casually.

"But you don't know how many people are in that family." She countered, not buying his answer.

"Actually I do."

"How?" She questioned.

"Cho told me." Jane answered matter-of-factly. Lisbon frowned, feeling a little foolish.

"Jane, unless it's about the case…" She began, but Jane interrupted her.

"The girl knew her attacker." He informed her. "The assailant is a short man, about 5 foot 3 inches, who has limited experience with a gun." He added. Lisbon smiled, still amazed by Jane's detective skills. "Probably the same age as the victim, so we're looking for a 18 to 19-year-old."

"She had a boyfriend, Kevin Fischer, but he's tall, around 6 feet." Lisbon told him, her tone softening as they returned to their usual routine, but Jane was not giving up that easy.

"How about we make a deal?" He offered, not waiting for her answer. "I'll pretend that nothing's weird between us, if you promise to talk to me after work today." He finished.

"Jane…" She warned.

"You can't avoid me forever." He pointed out.

"Jane, maybe we should take some time to think about this." Lisbon reasoned, sparing another glance at Van Pelt, who was waiting patiently for her to finish. Jane did not speak because he knew the silence alone would make her fold. She sighed. "Fine. It's a deal." She could somehow tell Jane was smiling.

"Did her parents mention anything about a stalker?" Jane asked, quickly resuming their theories on the case.

"No. Why?" Lisbon answered, wondering what Jane was thinking and how he could switch subjects so seamlessly.

"A hunch." Jane shrugged. "Cho and I are going to follow up on another lead. I'll call you later." He finished.

"Bye." Lisbon said before hanging up. She turned around to catch Van Pelt staring at her. "What?" She asked, feeling self-conscious. Van Pelt looked away, her mind quickly searching for a suitable reply. Lisbon shook her head and headed for the patio steps, effectively letting the matter drop.

"I just want you to know that Rigsby and I are not together. We will maintain a purely professional relationship." Van Pelt rushed the words, as if she would get nervous and stop mid sentence. Lisbon looked back at her, taking a moment to process her jumbled sentences. She then considered her response before taking a step towards her.

"Agent Van Pelt, I don't care about your relationship with Rigsby as long as you keep your personal life separate from your work life." She addressed her, her tone indifferent on the matter. She was in no mood to deal with Van Pelt's guilty conscience.

"Like you and Jane?" Van Pelt quickly rebuked, pointing out Lisbon's hypocrisy; however, as soon as Van Pelt said it, she was overwhelmed by regret and dread. Lisbon's eyes narrowed slightly, but she felt more surprise than anger at Van Pelt's outburst. "Sorry. It… slipped." Van Pelt apologized hesitantly, fear evident in her eyes. Lisbon decided to ignore her retort. After all, there was some truth to her response.

"Let's talk to the boyfriend." Lisbon responded, hoping that somehow her day would improve.

**Sorry there was not much Rigsby, I'll try to include him more in the next chapter.**

**The outpouring of reviews inspired me to write this very long chapter! Thanks for your comments!**

**It may take me a little longer between updates now that I'm back in school, but I will post in the story information when I will post my next chapter.**

**Reviews = Updates**


	9. Hiding

**Sorry this update took a while, but I hope you find the wait was worth it. This story is going to be extended one more chapter because when I finally finished the final chapter it was very long and I felt that it needed to be divided. **

Chapter 9: Hiding

Friday, 1:46 PM

Jane and Cho had returned to the office about 30 minutes earlier and were now enjoying a well earned, but late lunch consisting of a mediocre burger, French fries, and a large Styrofoam cup of Coke. They also brought Rigsby a meal to hold him over. Jane was the first to finish and was leaning back in his chair, sipping his coke through a colorful straw.

"Where's Van Pelt?" Rigsby questioned, glancing at his watch impatiently.

"Your girlfriend isn't back yet." Cho responded, pecking at the remainder of his fries.

"She's not-" He began to retort, but stopped when Lisbon quickly entered the room and made a due course for the white board. Van Pelt followed more slowly behind her, stopping near Rigsby.

"Raven McMillan." Lisbon announced, getting everyone's attention. "Shot multiple times after leaving her friend's birthday party. No alcohol in her system. Her boyfriend, Kevin, has an alibi, as does the rest of her family." She listed the facts in neat lines on the board. "Do we have any suspects?" She asked, turning to her team. Jane could tell she was frustrated with the apparent lack of suspects.

"Yes." Jane answered casually, without any hesitation. Lisbon turned to look at him and waited him for him to continue. She tried to stay focused on the case and avoided diverting her mind back to their date.

Jane was silent, so Lisbon impatiently asked, "who?" Jane smiled before grabbing his straw in his mouth and pointing to Cho, so he could elaborate. Cho took his cue and started to explain.

"Roy Baxter." He announced, standing up and walking towards the white board. He took the marker from Lisbon and wrote the boy's name on the board. "We went to her school and talked to her best friend Erin Kelly. According to her, Roy had been stalking Raven for a few months and he even came to her house once or twice. He fits Jane's description and he has a motive. He finally snapped and couldn't take her ignoring him anymore." He explained logically, writing the most important facts on the board under Roy's name. Lisbon looked between the board, Cho, and Jane.

"Any other suspects?" She asked curiously, obviously not convinced.

"He did it." Jane stated bluntly.

"Normally we need evidence before we can arrest someone, Jane." Lisbon directed, but Jane waved off this point.

"Bring him in for questioning. Cho can break him easy." Jane furthered, nodding at Cho, who seemed to agree.

"We have no probable cause." Lisbon apprised.

"Sure we do." Jane remarked, with a clever grin.

"If he…" Lisbon began, but Jane interrupted.

"He'll have a rehearsed answer to everything, but if you diverge from the usual questions the murderous bastard will crash and burn." He told her emphatically. Lisbon recognized a glimmer of hate flash in his eyes accompanied by a hint of venom in his tone. This always surprised Lisbon. It wasn't that Jane was incapable of hate; it was that he condemned people with a brilliant, masking smile on his face. The smile was what made Lisbon feel uneasy.

"You haven't even met this guy, how-?" Van Pelt intervened, but Jane answered before she could finish.

"We have to examine the stalker mentality. He wasn't planning on killing her. He wanted to kill Kevin. He waited outside the party for Kevin and Raven; you can see where he was hiding at the crime scene because there is a gaping hole in the bush and the grass is folded over from where he was squatting. The footprints in the grass are how we know his shoe size and how tall he is." Jane explained. "Roy was unprepared when only Raven came outside. We know that Kevin did not go to the party because he had to baby-sit his little brothers, hence the alibi. Raven must of spotted Roy, confronted him, and when she saw the gun…" Jane's voice drifted, allowing everyone to put the final pieces together themselves. There was a brief silence as everyone thought through Roy's motive.

"He's are only suspect. I agree with Jane." Rigsby declared.

"Why didn't anyone hear the shots?" Van Pelt inquired curiously.

"The music was probably too loud or he used a silencer. We never found the murder weapon." Cho answered. Lisbon looked up from her thoughts.

"Van Pelt, Rigsby, bring him in." She ordered decisively.

"Are you sure it's smart to send the two lovebirds alone?" Cho asked, truly enjoying messing with Rigsby. Rigsby frowned indignantly.

"Care to go with them?" Lisbon asked Cho.

"No, boss." He responded. With that Rigsby and Van Pelt left to get Roy Baxter and Lisbon withdrew to her office, leaving Cho and Jane alone. There was a momentary silence before Cho finally asked.

"Speaking of lovebirds…" He began, glancing over at Jane. "How are you planning to win over Lisbon?" He asked candidly. Jane smiled.

* * *

Friday, 3:22 PM

Rigsby and Van Pelt encountered little trouble picking up Roy Baxter. His parents seemed like decent people who were legitimately concerned for their son. They agreed to turn him over when they saw the badges and only after Van Pelt had given them directions to CBI. Roy, on the other hand, put up a verbal fight all the way to the car. Luckily, he got quiet after a few minutes in the backseat and silence ensued.

Rigsby hated the silence. He had so many questions for Van Pelt, but he had no idea how to go about asking them. His mind kept running through what he would say, but everything he considered saying made him sound insecure. After minutes of debate, he decided to just go for it. "Where do you want to go for our… date?" He asked, his voice revealing his hesitance. He immediately looked over at her so he could read her reaction. He did not like what he saw. Van Pelt cringed slightly as if she had been thinking about the same thing. She visibly stiffened and her gaze drifted to the window. "Oh… I guess you weren't serious when you said it, were you? I mean we were both pretty drunk… I…" He furthered, embarrassed. Van Pelt turned to look at him regretfully, not wanting him to get the wrong idea.

"It's okay, Rigsby." She assured him. "I meant it." She told him honestly. "I'm just as insecure about this as you are. Give it some time." She explained to him with a warm smile. Rigsby glanced over at her, trying to tell whether she meant what she said, but he looked at her for a second too long and swerved into the left lane. He was inches away from hitting the neighboring car.

"Rigsby!" Van Pelt yelled, instinctively grabbing her seat. Rigsby quickly turned the wheel to the right, returning into the center lane without hitting any other cars.

"We're good. We're good." He repeated, convincing himself that crisis had been averted. Van Pelt gave him an incredulous look, slowing releasing her grip on her chair. Roy Baxter finally spoke up from the backseat.

"Are you trying to kill me?" He exclaimed.

"Poor choice of words." Van Pelt commented, calming down after their possible near death experience. Van Pelt now knew that not only can Rigsby not drink… he cannot multi-task. Silence resumed for almost 10 minutes, until Rigsby had to ask.

"So you're serious?" He questioned with a slight smile. Van Pelt smiled shyly.

"Yeah. We'll see what happens." She answered, finding that Rigsby was cute when he was nervous.

Maybe they did have a future.

"Eyes on the road!" Van Pelt ordered, noting how Rigsby was looking at her again. Roy closed his eyes, fearing for his life.

* * *

Friday, 5:58 PM

Lisbon was staring out the window of the CBI office. She watched the sky darken and the streetlights come on. Lights slowly turned off in windows all along the street, signaling that it was time to go home. She could not though. She had to talk to Jane. He would never let her walk out without talking to him. She frowned, feeling confined.

Roy Baxter had confessed just as Jane said he would. Cho pointed out an inconsistency in his story and he broke down into tears. He claimed it was an accident and that he was trying to save her from Kevin. Everything Jane has inferred had been true… and it annoyed the hell out of Lisbon. He was always right and she knew he would see right through her. She hated feeling vulnerable and she hated not being in control. That was why she was dreading her confrontation with Jane. He would see the hurt and the disappointment again. He would see everything she desperately wanted to hide.

Cho was leaning back in his chair with his feet resting on his desk. He was reading a new novel, but at the same time, he was watching Lisbon stare out the window. He did not need to see her face to know what she was thinking about.

"So what's up with you and Jane?" He asked, his gaze reverting back to his book. Lisbon froze and shut her eyes in an attempt to block out any more questions. She opened them again, sighed, and composed herself.

"Why is everyone so starved for gossip?" She asked exasperatedly, turning to face him.

"It's the human condition." Cho answered without hesitation, his eyes still trained on the novel. "Are you planning on hiding here all night?" He furthered, glancing up to study her reaction.

"I'm not hiding." She countered indignantly, but her forcefulness faltered quickly when Cho gave her a hard stare.

"You should just talk to him." Cho told her. Lisbon frowned.

"What'd he tell you?" She inquired, non-to-pleased that Jane had told Cho about them.

"Nothing." Cho shrugged. "But you two are not exactly discreet." He added with the hint of a grin on his face.

"You're in on it." Lisbon concluded.

"In on what?" Cho feigned innocence.

"I leave you alone with Jane for a couple hours and you two conspire against me." Lisbon furthered, her eyes watching Cho suspiciously. Cho sighed and set down his book.

"No harm comes from talking." He told her.

"Plenty of harm comes from talking." Lisbon countered. "Who else did Jane recruit?" She asked curiously, wondering whether Rigsby and Van Pelt also knew about them.

"I can't divulge that information." Cho answered cleverly with a deceptive smile.

"Should I expect a mutiny?" Lisbon continued, half as a joke. Cho simply shrugged. "Where are Rigsby and Van Pelt?" She questioned.

"On their honeymoon." Cho responded complacently, with another smug grin.

"So where is Jane?" She asked, her eyes glancing around the room, half-expecting him to jump out from behind a desk.

"Waiting downstairs." Cho replied honestly.

"Any chance he'll leave?" Lisbon asked doubtfully.

"Nope." He responded bluntly. She paused, trying to figure out what Cho wanted.

"Why are you still here? Roy Baxter confessed hours ago." Lisbon asked, frowning bemusedly.

"I enjoy drama." Cho shrugged indifferently. Lisbon's eyes drifted to the floor before returning to meet Cho's.

"What do I say to him?" She asked with a hint of hesitance in her voice. Cho smiled.

"You ask a lot of questions." He pointed out. "Wing it." He advised, intertwining his fingers behind his head in a relaxed position.

"You're a fountain of advice." Lisbon stated sarcastically.

"Stop complicating things. Just kiss him." He told her flagrantly with a shrug. He feigned indifference, but Lisbon could tell his words were sincere. She sighed with defeat, knowing she had to meet Jane eventually. She moved to leave the office. "Break a leg." Cho added as she left the room to find Jane.

**Wizard-In-Disguise's review inspired the scene between Cho and Lisbon.  
**


	10. Change

**I figure I should explain why I started the "reviews = updates" thing. It was because my hit counter stopped working and for a few days it said I had 0 hits on my new postings, thus the only way for me to know if anyone was actually reading my story is if they posted a review. Thankfully, Fanfiction fixed the problem, but it still shows I have a lot less hits than I actually do.**

**Anyways, I digress. Enjoy the final chapter!**

Chapter 10: Change

Friday, 6:37 PM

Lisbon stepped outside into the humid night air. The lights in the buildings were mostly off and the parking lot was silent and empty save a few cars. She had not seen Jane in the lobby and he was nowhere to be seen outside. She saw her car on the right side of the parking lot. She stepped into the street and started towards it, when suddenly Jane's blue Citroen pulled out in front of her. It came out of nowhere and stopped only a foot away from her, as if Jane had purposely been hiding in the shadows. His window was rolled down already. "Sneaking out, are we?" He asked with a clever, knowing smile.

"You could have hit me!" She exclaimed, still surprised by Jane almost running her over.

"But I didn't." Jane replied casually. Lisbon smiled slightly and started walking parallel to the car. Jane moved forward with her.

"What are you doing?" Lisbon finally asked, stopping in the street. The car also stopped.

"Kidnapping you." Jane remarked, leaning across the seat and opening the passenger-side door. Lisbon stepped back as the door swung open.

"It doesn't help if you tell me." Lisbon reminded him, smiling.

"Well, I'm hoping you'll go along with it." Jane confessed, waving for her to take a seat. She glanced around the parking lot, but saw no one.

"Where are we going?" She asked, still standing outside the car.

"Road trip!" Jane exclaimed emphatically. "Just kidding. It's a surprise." He added honestly.

"Now, why would I go along with this?" Lisbon questioned, placing her hand on the top of the car door.

"Because you trust me and you're stubbornly curious." Jane reasoned. Lisbon smiled, sat down, and closed the door. They left the parking lot.

The two were quiet for a while before Lisbon felt the need to talk.

"We can drop this you know." She reminded him, throwing it out there. She was giving him an easy way out, but he refused.

"You don't really want to do that." Jane countered quickly, as if he had expected her to rationalize the situation. Lisbon paused.

"It's not going to work out." She stated doubtfully, her eyes drifting to the floor.

"You're very pessimistic." Jane observed, never loosing his confident grin.

"You seem very self-assured… which means you have some kind of a plan." She retorted, suspicious.

"Maybe." Jane shrugged. Lisbon avoided Jane's eyes as her mind searched for any logical excuse for why a relationship between them would be a bad idea.

"It was just a date and it was just a kiss." She explained. "It didn't have to mean something." She added, glancing over at Jane, who obviously did not buy a word of it.

"You're a terrible liar." He responded bluntly. Lisbon sighed and shifted her eyes to the ceiling, so she could stare at something other than the floor.

"Jane, what did you want to tell me?" She questioned impatiently.

"We're not there yet." Jane reminded her.

"Can you at least tell me where we're going?" She asked, finally turning her eyes to face him. Jane paused, his focus on the road.

"If you insist." He finally conceded as they pulled onto a residential street. Lisbon waited for him to continue, but realized he was not going to say it because they had already arrived. Jane pulled into a curved, pebble driveway and parked in front of a modern style home with at least two levels, geometric lines, and an array of trees surrounding it. Jane stopped the car and got out. Lisbon stared at the house for a moment before doing the same.

"Is this your house?" She asked incredulously, wondering why Jane would bring her here. She suddenly felt nervous.

"Just, trust me." He assured her, quelling her discomfort. Lisbon turned her gaze back to the house.

"How can you afford this?" She remarked, clearly impressed. She had never seen his house before and she knew he could never afford this place on a CBI paycheck. Jane smiled slightly.

"I was a really good psychic. If you can pull it off, it pays very well." He commented, heading towards the front door. Lisbon followed. Jane hesitated briefly before unlocking the door and entering his house. Jane hit the lights and Lisbon entered behind him and closed the door.

The room had wooden walls, and long, vertical windows, but what Lisbon noticed immediately was the fact that the room was completely empty save a desk by the front door, which was covered by files and loose papers. There was no furniture and nothing hanging on the walls: no pictures, no memories, nothing. Lisbon walked into the center of the barren room, her shoes echoing on the hardwood floors.

"It's empty." She stated softly, trying to understand why a man would live in a house with no furniture; there was no place to live in it. She noted the stairs at the far end of the room and suddenly it occurred to her. She recognized the staircase… "You live in the same house." She remarked quietly, slowly turning to face Jane. Lisbon could see the answer flash in Jane's eyes, but other than that he seemed to be his usual confident self, notably unperturbed by her discovery. "Why'd you bring me here?" She asked curiously. For once, Jane was not smiling.

He paused thoughtfully.

"I don't have that much. I have this job and I have…" He began, but drifted as if considering where he was going with his speech. "I'm going to find Red John and I'm going to kill him for what he did." He announced willfully, making eye contact with Lisbon. She watched him intently. "And no matter how much… I care about you, I'm not going to let you stop me." He admitted. Lisbon realized that Jane was working through his own excuses. There were several valid reasons for why Lisbon and Jane should stay friends and only friends, but both Lisbon and Jane wanted to ignore all those reasons.

"When that day comes, I need you to know that I can't let you." Lisbon explained, understanding Jane's reasoning. Jane wanted to make sure that Lisbon knew he would not stop his pursuit of revenge on her behalf, but to be honest, Lisbon never expected him to. Jane deserved to see Red John caught, but what they disagreed on is how he should pay.

"I know." Jane replied, satisfied with her answer. He paused again, composing his thoughts.

"The kiss meant something." He announced, his blue eyes meeting her green eyes. "I never thought I could move on. I never planned to and… until now I never wanted to." He admitted honestly. He did not particularly enjoy putting his heart on his sleeve, but Lisbon needed to hear it. She needed to know that he goes home to an empty house every night because he cannot deal with the memory of his family and his life before. She needed to know that he will not rest until Red John is dead, but most of all, she needed to know the dramatic effect she would have on his life… and that she's wanted.

"Patrick…" Lisbon started, but she was not sure what to say. She was speechless. He had said so much in so little time that she could not think how to respond.

"You're worth it, Teresa." Jane told her, taking a couple steps closer. His eyes scanned over hers, trying to read her reaction. "No protest?" Jane asked, somewhat unsure of what Lisbon was thinking. "Teres-" He began, but Lisbon gracefully stepped forward, placed her arms around his neck, and pushed her lips against his, in hopes that a kiss could say everything she could not say in words.

And it did.

Jane stumbled backwards, obviously surprised. He quickly regained his balance, moved his hands just above her hips, and returned the kiss with an equal intensity. Lisbon's fingers began to toy with Jane's curly blond hair and she found she loved running his hair past her fingertips. Lisbon could feel Jane's lips curve into a smile and she wondered whether he always smiled when he kissed. Then she realized she would have plenty of tries to test out that theory. This made her smile too.

She broke off the kiss, but her face remained only an inch away from his.

"I can't believe you didn't see that coming." She commented happily, her lips almost brushing against his.

"I did." He defended, leaning forward to give her another brief kiss.

"You're lying." She countered knowingly. Jane smiled again.

"Maybe." He replied, moving his hand up to her face, delicately tracing her jaw line with his fingers. "So I'm guessing you're okay with this?" He asked.

"I'm perfect with this." She replied, feeling unbelievably content with being so close and so intimate with Jane. He rested his forehead against hers.

"We take it slow?" He asked and for the first time since they started the conversation, Jane's voice exhibited a tinge of hesitance and uncertainty.

"Slow." She assured him, glad when he visibly relaxed. He smiled brightly.

"Does this count as a second date?" He asked lightheartedly.

"Are you kidding?" Lisbon responded cheerfully, the two of them pulling apart. "I haven't had dinner." She announced.

"I'm sure we can find a place." Jane replied with a smile as Lisbon took his hand and led him to the front door. Lisbon opened the door, stepped outside, and waited while Jane pulled out his keys.

Just before he left the house, Patrick Jane took one last look around the room knowing that things would never be the same for him. He knew today signified a huge change in his life, a turning point. And for the first time in a long time, he had more to live for than a red smile painted on a wall.

THE END  
**  
One word. Sequel!**

**I'm sorry that there was no Rigsby/Van Pelt in this chapter.  
**

**Thanks for reading and reviewing!**

**Hadley**


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